Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree offers an opportunity for students to pursue integrated scholarship in the disciplines of business. Taught by scholar practitioners, students are challenged to excel in both research and application. A student’s specialization in either Management and Strategy, or Business Economics and Finance enables the student to identify their research interests. Through close cooperation with a dedicated advisor, DBA students will construct the foundation for their dissertation research during coursework.

Evening doctoral courses designed for adult learners with full lives

Practitioner scholar faculty interested in and dedicated to your research

Integrated curriculum designed to help you develop and successfully complete your dissertation

Professional relationships built through a cohort community of scholars

Graduates of this program may pursue positions in the business academe, as well as in the corporate and governmental sectors.

Attendance is required before DBA students begin coursework. The orientation sessions introduce students to the faculty; provide a thorough description of the program's academic expectations; introduce students to library services and the writing center staff; provide valuable information regarding course registration; demonstrate the use of Blackboard; and include a discussion of other important administrative matters.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Enroll in DBA courses online.

Procure appropriate services from the Library and Writing Center website or staff.

This course examines the distribution of population and resources globally. Trends in consumption, income, and employment are explored. Political, institutional, and cultural forces affecting business are examined.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Identify the location and control of strategic resources.

Explain the evolution of the modern nation states and international alliances.

Analyze the effects of political and cultural forces on trade patterns.

Interpret current events within a global political and economic framework.

This course continues the themes developed in DBA800 and focuses on the consumers, economics, and institutions of the industrialized nations. Challenges and opportunities facing firms doing business in the developed counties are explored.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Evaluate the composition of the industrialized countries' economic output.

Analyze the challenges and opportunities of doing business in an industrialized country.

Analyze the trade patterns of industrialized nations.

Summarize the economic and political risks faced by the developed countries.

Analyze the roles of the institutions that form the global financial systems.

This course continues the themes developed in DBA800 and focuses on the consumers, economies, and institutions of the developing countries. Challenges and opportunities facing firms doing business in the developing countries are compared and contrasted with those facing firms doing business in the developed countries.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Evaluate the composition of the developing countries' economic output.

Identify the root causes of the risks of doing business in developing countries.

Analyze the trade patterns of developing nations.

Critique the role of foreign aid in the developing world.

Compare doing business in the developed world with doing business in the developing world.

This course establishes the framework for writing and critiquing scholarly research articles. The fundamentals of study design, hypothesis testing, sampling techniques, and data analysis are discussed. Emphasis is placed on ethical issues encountered by researchers.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Develop effective research questions and hypotheses.

Evaluate the differences between quantitative and qualitative research.

This course continues the themes developed in DBA803 and examines the use of parametric and non-parametric statistics in business research. Topics include selection of appropriate statistical measures, regression analysis, and analysis of variance. Time series models are emphasized.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

This course examines the roles of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations in society. Differences and similarities in stakeholder expectations are explored. Ethical issues arising in each of the functional areas are examined.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Analyze the roles of for-profit and not-for-profit institutions in meeting societal needs.

This course applies the principles of organization development to the examination of the firm. Topics include systems theory, organizational interventions, power and political structures, and effective resource management.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Analyze organization life cycles through systems theory.

Apply and evaluate the effectiveness of organizational interventions.

Evaluate the role of power within the formal and informal political structures of an organizations.

This course continues the themes begun in DBA810 and DBA811 and focuses on determining the strategic direction and governance of the organization. Emphasis is placed on development of objectives consistent with the organizational mission and desires of stakeholders, and measurement of progress towards those objectives.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

This course examines research issues in macroeconomics. Emphasis is placed on the results of decisions made by consumers, organizations, and governments. Topics include unemployment, inflation, savings, investment, exchange rates, and the role of governments in markets.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Evaluate historical and foundational works in the field of macroeconomics.

Critique and synthesize major areas of current macroeconomics research.

This course examines research issues in finance. Emphasis is placed on decision making within an organization attempting to satisfy multiple stakeholders. Topics include capital budgeting, management of assets and liabilities, the role of financial markets, and the institutions of the global financial system.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Critique and synthesize major areas of current research in finance.

Fully develop and refine a research question based on relevant literature.

Create a comprehensive literature review to support a research question.

This course examines research issues central to the management of organizations. Emphasis is placed on managing human resources. Topics include organization change, leadership, power, motivation and performance, conflict and negotiation, and organization culture.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

This course examines research issues in organization strategy. Emphasis is placed on the relationship of the firm to the external environment. Topics include planning and strategic management, organization structure and design, implementation of vision and mission, corporate governance, and corporate social responsibility.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Critique and synthesize major areas of current strategy research.

Develop and refine a research question based on relevant literature.

Create a preliminary literature review to support a research question.

This course examines research issues regarding the role of innovation in the creation of new business models, improving customer experience, and opening of new markets. Emphasis is placed on developing organization capabilities to meet market needs based on emerging trends. Topics include theories of innovation leadership and innovation, adaptability, and the introduction of new products and services.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Critique and synthesize major areas of current research in innovation.

Fully develop and refine a research question based on relevant literature.

Create a comprehensive literature review to support a research question.

DBA students are required to take a comprehensive examination upon completion of the coursework. The comprehensive examination is an integrative experience requiring students to demonstrate personal mastery of concepts studied during the program and application of concepts to challenges in their areas of specialization.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Individualized sessions are conducted with the candidate's committee chairperson to prepare the dissertation proposal and the dissertation as well as the presentation to the committee. Upon successful defense of the dissertation proposal, the student submits the proposal to the University Research Review Board for approval. Candidates are required to register for at least one dissertation credit each semester until finished, with a minimum of 12 credits required to complete the degree.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Demonstrate satisfactory progress has been made toward completion of the dissertation.

Each student is required to provide a presentation of the dissertation project to the student's committee and the public. The committee and the public are encouraged to ask questions of the student regarding the research project, the student's written dissertation, points developed in the presentation, or any other related matter.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:

Create a written, bound dissertation that meets all requirements of the student's committee and the DBA program.

Create a public presentation of the dissertation project and its results.